Why Be Sure About the Real Jesus?

· The primary area of error in false religions is what they believe about Christ. They may talk about Christ and say they acknowledge Him, even as Savior. But the big question is, “Is your Christ the true Christ of the Scripture?” And they get that question wrong every time.

· You may be questioned about Christ by non-believers. Are you ready to give an answer? You need to be! It never hurts to know what you believe.

· If Jesus came into existence at His birth then the idea of God being a Trinity is false. One of the core beliefs of Christianity has always been that God is 3 in one. And that requires Jesus to be pre-existent.

· If Jesus is not eternal and pre-existent than He is not God, because God is eternal. Think about it: How could God be created? If He could, then whoever created him would really be God.

· If Jesus is not eternal then He is a liar, because He claimed to be. We read His own words. Either He was telling the truth or He knew He was lying. But think about it…who would die for what they knew was a lie?

The real biblical and historical Jesus only spent approx. 33 years living as a man. But He is ageless; the “Ancient of days” He is called. He is the eternal God and the eternal God wants to be the Savior and Lord of your life. David marveled about that in Psalm 8. When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you set in place—what are people that you should think about them, mere mortals that you should care for them?

But, He does care about you, and He desires you to receive Him as your God and to spend eternity with Him. That is guaranteed to any and all who will accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. If you don’t know that you’ve done that in your life, and would like to right now, all you need to is to believe in your heart that God sent Christ to die for you; to forgive you of all your sin and to give you a new life. It’s that simple.

More Urban Legends

So many have told me how much they have learned from this current Urban Legends series, that I've thought of putting together a follow-up series, "More Urban Legends" for a later date. To do that I need your help.

If you've heard what you believe to be an Urban Legend - a myth about what the Bible says that many believers accept as fact - send it to me in an email to rick@nagsheadchurch.org. Depending on the response, I'll take the best of the submissions and run with them.

Here's an example:

"It doesn't matter what you believe as long as you are sincere."

Sunday Feedback July 31

Poor Pinocchio got some bad advice from the Blue Fairy and Jiminy Crickett.

Be praying for Janessa Long as she begins reaching International Students at NC State this year. Pray, too, that she's able to raise her needed support.

Next week's Urban Legend: With God Comes Good Luck!

Forgiveness and Worship

How are forgiveness and worship connected? The Psalmist explains:

If you kept record of our sins, no one could last long.
But you forgive us, and so we will worship you.
- Psalm 130: 3-4 (CEV)

That's why only those who truly know God's forgiveness can truly worship Him.
That's why some can be in attendance at a worship gathering and go through the motions.
That's why gathering together at the Lord's table, where we have such a deep and visual reminder of forgiveness and our need to both confess and forgive and where we are challenged to look within at our own hearts is indispensable to maintaining a life of worship.

Worship is the supernatural, normal outcome of a forgiven life. It is the connection between our hearts - which must be devoid of sin - and the holy heart of God. If we have not applied 1 Jn. 1:9-10 regularly and often in our lives there is a disconnect that cuts off worship.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say, "We have not sinned," we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

Ancient Foundations This Sunday: Everybody Goes Somewhere

The BIG question on every human heart is, "What happens to me after I die?"

Sunday we'll look in the Bible to see what God has to say about the options. There are only two.

Bring your Bible.

And be thinking about who you'll bring with you to church on Easter Sunday. Three Gatherings to choose from: 7, 9 or 11.

Sunday Feedback: The God in this World (and in You)

Today was what we believe the Bible teaches about the Holy Spirit.
We started with the transition from Christ to the Spirit as God's presence on earth, then transitioned back to Christ and the Spirit's completion of His work here. What will happen then?

Lots of other things were happening as we gathered for worship, fellowship and ministry. If you're involved in a Sunday ministry, tell us about it!

Ancient Foundations

Our new Sunday morning series, "Ancient Foundations" begins today. Alex McFarland will be helping us launch this new series this morning.

The Incomparable Community

This post is from my personal blog, and was written in 2008. I'm re-posting here because of its relevance to this coming Sunday's message in our "In Plain Sight" series on the vision of Nags Head Church. - Rick

The amazing thing about the church* is that because it is a living organism (as opposed to an organizational institution) we get to watch it grow and mature and change all the time. And as God teaches and moves us, He changes us by revealing more and more to us about Himself and about ourselves.

Every week I hear more and more stories from and about our church about how God is using you and giving you greater insights into His purposes for your lives. Every week someone tells me how God has healed; changed; challenged their lives. Pains and hurts are part of this life as well, and we're not exempt from them, either. And whether those things are in little areas of life or are huge miracles, they’re all significant, not only to your life, but to the church body.

Paul wrote that when one of us hurts, it hurts us all. And when one of us rejoices we all celebrate, too. No one in the church should ever be alone (although I know plenty who have secluded themselves and their hurts because of pride or fear).

Nothing else on earth compares to a healthy church.

*A local body of believers called together to be the community of Christ.

New Year Starts with a New Sunday Series

Beginning this Sunday I'll be teaching a series that I hope uses the newness of the year to refresh us on what we are supposed to be doing as a church in 2011. The series is about "vision", and in it I'll be sharing God's vision for NHC.

The great chapters of biblical history began with a leader or prophet proclaiming God's vision for His people and the world.

• God told Abraham he would be the father of a great nation.
• Moses was told that he would lead God's people out of slavery and back to their home.
• David longed for Jerusalem to house the Tabernacle and later the Temple.
• John the Baptist cried out to "prepare the way of the Lord" before Jesus began His ministry.
• Jesus said, "I will build my church".
• Paul's passion was to take the Gospel to Spain.
  

Recently, through our Connection Groups I asked for your questions about why we do things like we do to reach people to discover life in Christ. Many of the questions showed me that our vision has leaked! By that I mean that we have had the same priorities and have been headed the same direction since 1996 (when we wrote down our Vision Statement), but many of us have forgotten why. And it's my duty, as lead and primary teaching pastor to keep the vision before us clearly and often.

God told the prophet Habakkuk to "Write down the vision and make it plain" to the nation. If we don't understand "why" then we can't know "how". Vision explains the "why".

So do everything you can to be at NHC the next six Sundays.

Rick

New Series Starts Sunday! "A Matter of Life and Death"

This Sunday: "Good News/Bad News/Good News"

The question that the Bible will answer for us in the coming weeks is this one: “How does having faith in Christ work in my everyday life?” How does it make a difference in life now before I get to heaven?" We probably know that it should make a difference, but how does that work?

You can come prepared by reading through Romans 1-4. After that we'll take on chapters 5-8, devoting two Sundays to each chapter. This is the "heart" of the best book in the Bible for explaining our relationship with God through Christ.